Srikrishna Committee suggests 6 options; Favours United Andhra

New Delhi: Justice BN Srikrishna Committee report on the issue for a separate state of Telangana leans towards united Andhra Pradesh. The report, which was released by the Centre in New Delhi on Thursday, says that status quo be maintained for the sake of internal security and economic well being.

Without giving any recommendation but only six options, the Srikrishna Committee says that if status quo is maintained then that out of the chief minister and deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, one of should be from the Telangana region.

But the two-volume 461-page report also suggests that maintaining status quo is the least favoured option.

Supporting its recommendation for a united Andhra Pradesh, the Committee says that it found no reason to believe that the development of any region was ignored by the state government.

Key points of the Telangana report which lists six options:

1) Maintain status quo. Out of the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister one of them should be from Telangana. The committee says that for reasons of internal security and economic development maintaining status quo is a good option. The Committee also says that it found no reason to believe that the development of any region was ignored by the government.

2) Bifurcation into Seemandhra and Telangana with Hyderabad as a union territory. Both regions to have own capital in due course, the committee says.

3) Bifurcation into Rayaltelangana and coastal Andhra with Hyderabad going with Rayaltelangana.

4) Bifurcation into Telangana and Seemandhra with an enlarged Hyderabad to become a union territory. The geographical links and continuity for enlarged Hyderabad to have links with coastal Andhra. The Union Territory will have geographical linkage and contiguity via Nalgonda district in the south-east to Guntur district in coastal Andhra and via Mahabubnagar district in the south to Kurnool district in Rayalaseema.

5) Bifurcation of Seemandhra and Telangana as per existing boundary with Hyderabad becoming the capital of Telangana. Seemandhra to have its own separate capital.

6) United state providing certain constitutional measures for socio-economic and political development and formation of Telangana Regional Council.

The Committee discussed all aspects of option 6. While it acknowledges that there will be certain difficulties in its implementation, on balance it found it the most workable option in the given circumstances and in the best interest of the social and economic welfare of the people of all three regions,” the five-member Srikrishna Committee says.

Addressing the media on Thursday afternoon Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the committee had rejected first three options as not practical.

“Committee has rejected first three options as not practical. Options four, five and six are considered by the committee as practical. Respect the committee report, read it carefully before coming to conclusions. It is unfortunate that certain parties did not attend today’s meeting. If the media also cooperate we can find a way forward and a solution,” said Chidambaram.